Midwest Express Airlines was famous for amazing customer service. Most noteworthy, they always baked fresh chocolate-chip cookies on every flight. The airline, the smell, and the word of mouth was legendary. There was deep customer love for this brand.

They’ve since been rolled up with some other airlines into what is now Frontier. The service is fine and the people are nice.

But when they walk down the aisle with still-frozen-in-the-middle microwaved cookies, every former Midwest fan tears up and realizes that their old friend is gone.

Doing a lame version of a classic makes it worse. It’s doesn’t say, “We’re still that great brand you love.” It says, “We’re only going through the motions.”

Things change, and that’s OK. Don’t try to fake it (if you can’t do it like you used to). Instead, find a new awesome way to make customers fall in love.

I taught word of mouth marketing at Northwestern University and internet entrepreneurship at the Wharton School of Business. I’m a serial entrepreneur who founded and advises startups and nonprofits. And I’m a rabid purist on the topic of marketing ethics.

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